Within applicant's knowledge the particular art to which the invention primarily pertains commercially originated essentially with machines and methods of the type disclosed in the patents to Clancy U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,099 and Weinberger U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,435, and improved in the above-identified application. Each discloses machines for automatically packaging folded moist towelettes wherein the leading end of a web of absorbent towelette material is longitudinally folded, and then severed into towelette lengths which are transversely folded and thrust into envelopes automatically positioned in succession at a filling station. Clancy discloses imparting two transverse folds to the severed longitudinally folded towelette length prior to insertion into the envelope.
The present invention is directed to related methods and apparatus of the Clancy patent type, and particularly to arrangements for handling the web and towelette and especially to methods and mechanism for dual transverse folding of the severed longitudinally folded towelette, except that in the invention the dual transverse fold produces a thinner less bulky folded towelette in the envelope resulting in a thinner overall final package.